Sign In With Apple Is a Quick and Easy Way to Protect Yourself Online. Here’s How to Use It

Use your Apple device to verify your credentials instead of your social accounts or yet another password. Here’s what to know about the security feature.

Do you dread signing up for a new service or logging in to a new website? No one wants more emails in their inbox or to risk their security for using a site one time.

Sign in with Apple can help improve your online security when signing in to third-party apps and websites on your Apple devices with your Apple ID. The privacy tool will then verify your credentials instead of signing in with Facebook, Google or making a brand-new account using your email address on an app or website. You can use Sign in with Apple in any browser and supported app and is available on iOS, MacOS, TVOS and WatchOS.

Here’s everything you need to know about how Sign in with Apple works and how to use it. Plus, here’s how to check your iPhone’s privacy settings in two easy steps and nine rules for strong passwords.

How to use Sign in with Apple

  1. When you open an app or website, if it supports Sign in with Apple, simply tap Continue with Apple.
  2. Accept or deny any permissions the app asks for.
  3. Follow the onscreen prompts regarding your Apple ID. You can choose to edit your name or share or hide your email. Choose Continue.
  4. Enter your passcode when prompted. You can also confirm with Face ID or Touch ID. If you don’t have any of the three, you can use your Apple ID password.

As long as you’re signed in on your device, you’ll be signed in to the app. To sign out, just locate the settings in the app or website and choose Sign Out. You’ll need to repeat the process if you want to sign back in.

How does Sign in with Apple work?
Sign in with Apple uses your Apple device to verify your credentials instead of using your social account logins, which could make you vulnerable to being tracked online. With the Hide My Email option, Apple creates a random email address — you’ll recognize it by the unique alphanumeric string followed by @privaterelay.appleid.com.

The random email address can only be used for one specific app. The app or website will use the generated email, but Apple will forward any correspondence to your real email, protecting your identity. You can reply to whichever emails you like without exposing your personal email address. Apple lets you turn off the email forwarding feature at any time as well.

Sign in with Apple says it won’t use any of your information aside from what’s required to let you sign in and out of an account. The tool also employs two-factor authentication with Face ID or Touch ID. If you don’t see the Sign in option, that means the app or website doesn’t support it yet.

Which apps support Sign in with Apple?

  1. Open the Settings app on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, and tap your name.
  2. Tap Passwords and Security.
  3. Choose Apps Using Your Apple ID.

From there — if you’ve used Sign in — you should see a list of apps. You can tap through each app and see what preferences you put in place or change them, as well as read the app or website’s privacy policy. You can also toggle off email forwarding here as well as stop using your Apple ID with the app.

How do I use Sign in with Apple on Mac?

  1. When you open an app or website, if it supports Sign in with Apple, click Continue with Apple.
  2. Follow the onscreen instructions. You should be able to enter a different name if you don’t want to use your real name or choose which Apple ID-associated email you’d like to use, as well as the ability to choose Hide My Email.

After you start using Sign in with Apple, you can edit any apps that you’ve added by choosing the Apple menu > System Settings > click your name. From there, choose Password and Security and click Edit. This will let you turn off forwarding email or remove an app that’s using Sign in with Apple.

How do I use Sign in with Apple from a web browser?

  1. Sign in to appleid.apple.com.
  2. Click Sign In and Security.
  3. Click Sign in with Apple.
  4. Click any app using Sign in with Apple to remove access.

How do I change my forwarding email address?
If you use Hide My Email and need to make some changes, here’s how on mobile:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap your name.
  3. Tap Name, Phone Numbers, Email.
  4. Tap Forward to under Hide My Email.
  5. Choose a new email address to use in forwarding.

The new address you enter will apply across all the apps you’re using the Hide My Email feature with.

How is Sign in with Apple different from using Facebook or Google login?
Sign in with Apple is only visually similar to the icons that let you use your Google or Facebook credentials. While signing in with Facebook or Google might seem easier, a lot of personal information is attached to those accounts, like your nicknames, hometown and birthday. This data might seem unimportant at first glance, but some of that is prime security question fodder for your bank account and other sensitive information.

Sign in with Apple also gives you more control over the permissions apps and websites have access to. You can pick and choose which apps have to ask your permission each time it requests your location data from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s handy if you’re trying out a new app or you don’t plan on using an app often, for example.

What Finally Convinced Me to Ditch my Android for an iPhone

Commentary: My friends got their wish. I’m now Team Apple.

The iPhone versus Android debate rages on, and I’ve been caught in the middle of it for too long. For 10 long years, I’ve been Team Android, my most recent phone being the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. But when it came time to replace my beloved Galaxy — after months of going back and forth — I caved and bought an iPhone 14 Pro. And, green bubbles aside, now that I’m Team Apple, I’m never going back.

It may sound like I’m being overly dramatic, but that trip to the Verizon store signaled a big shift for me. I’ve always prided myself on not buying into the Apple hype. Despite years of pestering from friends to switch to an iPhone, I pushed back, maintaining that I liked being different from the masses. Everyone around me has an iPhone. It felt good to defy the norm. And so for years, I stuck with my Samsung Galaxy devices, which I still believe are incredible phones.

But after conversations with friends and family about what I could get from the iPhone that I could never get with my Android, I started to reconsider my stance. Yes, I loved my Galaxy S10 Plus and everything it offered: a top-notch camera, a customizable interface and Object Eraser, which removes any unwanted people or objects from your pictures (Pixel phones have a similar feature). But at the end of the day, there was one big thing my Android could never offer: a seamless way to communicate with all my friends on the iPhone.

Read more: Android vs. iPhone: 7 Things Apple Phone Owners Wish They Could Do

I’ve been told countless times that I ruin group chats by turning all the texts “green.” This is because Apple refuses to make iMessage compatible with Android phones, so when you message someone who isn’t on iOS, you’ll see green text bubbles instead of the standard blue ones. Because this felt like a superficial complaint — and is 100% Apple’s fault — I brushed it aside.

Until I realized I was missing out on other, more significant benefits of owning an iPhone.

Unless you use a third-party app like WhatsApp, there’s no easy way to send high-resolution photos and videos directly between an Android phone and an iPhone. I was OK with just using WhatsApp… until I began to envy my friends who were instantaneously AirDropping pictures and videos after our hangouts. WhatsApp also diminishes the quality of videos, and Google Drive takes a lot longer to upload videos to.

It also was frustrating that apps like TikTok diminished my camera quality on Android. Comparing TikTok videos taken on an iPhone — even an older version like the iPhone X — with those taken on my Galaxy S10 Plus is like night and day. On my Galaxy, TikTok distorted the colors and blurred everything in the most unflattering and unrealistic way. On the iPhone, videos are crisp and clear and appear just as they should. For someone who uses TikTok as much as I do, this was important.

These reasons, along with the fact that I already use a MacBook and would therefore benefit from the Apple ecosystem, led me to start changing my mind about owning an iPhone. Throw in features like the new always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro models — something I absolutely loved on my Galaxy devices — and fun new elements like Dynamic Island, and suddenly I was sold on the idea of switching over.

Read more: iPhone or Android? Your Phone Choice Could Be Hampering Your Love Life

Yes, I had to fight off feelings of being a sellout. But I realized that ultimately, it’s just a phone. And no matter what you do, people will have unsolicited opinions about what device you’re using. My Galaxy worked well for me for many years. Now I was ready for something new. And so far, I have no regrets.

Check out the video above for more of my thoughts on switching from an Android phone to an iPhone.

I Switched From Android to iPhone. I’m Not Going Back

After 10 long years of loving Android, I’ve caved.

After months of going back and forth I went to my local Verizon store and ordered an iPhone 14 Pro. It may sound like I’m being overly dramatic, but the move signaled a big shift for me.

I’ve always prided myself on not buying into the Apple hype. Despite years of pestering from friends to switch to an iPhone, I pushed back, maintaining that I liked being different from the masses. Everyone around me has an iPhone. It felt good to defy the norm. And so for years, I stuck with my Samsung Galaxy devices, which I still believe are incredible phones.

But after conversations with friends and family about what I could get from the iPhone that I could never get with my Android, I started to reconsider my stance. Yes, I loved my Galaxy S10 Plus and everything it offered: a top-notch camera, a customizable interface and Object Eraser, which removes any unwanted people or objects from your pictures (Pixel has a similar feature). But at the end of the day, there was one big thing my Android could never offer: a seamless way to communicate with all my friends on the iPhone.

I’ve been told countless times that I ruin group chats by turning all the texts “green.” This is because Apple refuses to make iMessage compatible with Android phones, so when you message someone who isn’t on iOS, you’ll see green text bubbles instead of the standard blue ones. Because this felt like a superficial complaint — and is 100% Apple’s fault — I brushed it aside.

Until I realized I was missing out on other, more significant benefits of owning an iPhone.

Unless you use a third-party app like WhatsApp, there’s no easy way to send high-resolution photos and videos directly between an Android phone and an iPhone. I was OK with just using WhatsApp… until I began to envy my friends who were instantaneously AirDropping pictures and videos after our hangouts. WhatsApp also diminishes the quality of videos, and Google Drive takes a lot longer to upload videos to.

It also was frustrating that apps like TikTok diminished my camera quality on Android. Comparing TikTok videos taken on an iPhone — even an older version like the iPhone X — with those taken on my Galaxy S10 Plus is like night and day. On my Galaxy, TikTok distorted the colors and blurred everything in the most unflattering and unrealistic way. On the iPhone, videos are crisp and clear and appear just as they should. For someone who uses TikTok as much as I do, this was important.

These reasons, along with the fact that I already use a MacBook and would therefore benefit from the Apple ecosystem, led me to start changing my mind about owning an iPhone. Throw in features like the new always-on display on the iPhone 14 Pro models — something I absolutely loved on my Galaxy devices — and fun new elements like Dynamic Island, and suddenly I was sold on the idea of switching over.

Of course, I had to fight off feelings of being a sellout. But I realized that ultimately, it’s just a phone. And no matter what you do, people will have unsolicited opinions about what device you’re using. My Galaxy worked well for me for many years. Now I was ready for something new. And so far, I have no regrets.

Check out the video above for more of my thoughts on switching from an Android phone to an iPhone.

Apple store Glasgow workers unionise in UK first

Glasgow Apple store workers have become the first in the UK to secure official union recognition.

GMB union organiser John Slaven called it a “compelling new chapter in the trade-union story” being written around the world.

Earlier this year, workers in the Maryland branch formed the first Apple retail union in the US.

Glasgow’s Buchanan Street Apple store staff previously said union recognition would be used to bid for higher wages.

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An Apple official told BBC News: “We have long been committed to providing an excellent experience for our customers and teams.

“Apple is one of the highest-paying retailers in Scotland and we’ve regularly made enhancements to our industry-leading benefits as a part of the overall support we provide to our valued team members.”

Cost-of-living crisis
In June, after joining the GMB and filing for voluntary union recognition, workers at the store told the Glasgow Evening Times they earned about £12 an hour.

“People are suffering with the cost-of-living crisis,” one said.

“We need a pay rise, pay transparency and a voice.”

Mr Slaven said Wednesday’s union-recognition ballot result was “testament to the hard work of the activists and workers” in the store.

The two-thirds majority showed the union was “pro-worker and not anti-employer” and “trade unionism should be a normal and welcome feature of any workplace”.

The move comes amid increased unionisation efforts from workers worldwide at technology giants such as Activision Blizzard, Amazon and Google parent company Alphabet.

Last month, Labour leader Keir Starmer urged Amazon to officially recognise GMB workers, after a strike ballot fell three votes short of a 50% threshold.

Apple Will Reportedly Mark 2013 and 2014 iMacs Obsolete by Month’s End

That means those models will no longer be eligible to be serviced by Apple.

Apple will mark four iMac desktop models as obsolete later this month, MacRumors reported Tuesday. These include the 21.5-inch and 27-inch ‌iMac‌ from late 2013, the 21.5-inch ‌iMac‌ from mid-2014 and the Retina 5K 27-inch ‌iMac‌ from late 2014.

The move will be official Nov. 30, according to the report. That means those models will no longer be eligible to be serviced by Apple.

According to Apple’s website, the last iMac desktop models to become obsolete were the 27-inch iMac from mid-2011, the 27-inch iMac from 2012 and the 20-inch iMac G5 (iSight).

These four models would join over 45 other obsolete iMac models. The entire list of vintage and obsolete Apple models can be found here.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

If You Don’t Need These 2 iOS 16 Features, Disable Them to Save Battery

Apple’s new iPhone features are cool, but disabling two of them could help your battery life.

Does it seem like your iPhone is always dying? You might not need to buy a new one just yet, but it’s probably time to make some changes. Maybe you need to charge it differently with the appropriate cables or invest in a decent power bank that lets you charge your iPhone from anywhere, without depending on a wall outlet.

You could also turn on Low Power Mode permanently or throw your iPhone into Airplane Mode to help preserve the little battery you have.

CNET Tech Tips logo
However, not all battery-saving tips are obvious, and if you’re running iOS 16 there are new ways that can help you keep your iPhone’s battery alive longer.

In this story, we’ll cover two new features to iOS 16, both of which consume your iPhone’s battery in varying degrees, and how you can turn them off to help preserve battery life. Here’s what you need to know.

And if you want some more battery savings tips and tricks, check out how to stop background apps from refreshing and how to replace your iPhone’s battery (cheaper than Apple).

Remove widgets from your lock screen
All the widgets on your lock screen force your apps to automatically run in the background, constantly fetching data to update the information the widgets display, like sport’s scores or the weather. And because these apps are constantly running in the background due to your widgets, that means they continuously drain power.

If you want to help preserve some battery on iOS 16, the best thing to do is simply avoid widgets on your lock screen (and home screen). The easiest way to do this is to switch to another lock screen profile — press your finger down on your existing lock screen and then swipe around to choose one that doesn’t have any widgets.

However, if you want to just remove the widgets from your existing lock screen, press down on your lock screen, hit Customize, choose the Lock Screen option, tap on the widget box and then hit the “—” button on each widget to remove them.

Keep haptic keyboard feedback turned off
Surprisingly, the keyboard on the iPhone has never had the ability to vibrate as you type, an addition that was recently made on iOS 16, known as haptic feedback. Instead of just hearing click-clack sounds, haptic feedback gives each key a vibration, providing a more immersive experience as you type. However, according to Apple, the very same feature may also affect battery life.

According to this Apple support page about the keyboard, haptic feedback “might affect the battery life of your iPhone.” No specifics are given as to how much battery life the keyboard feature does drain, but if you want to conserve battery, it’s best to keep this feature disabled.

Fortunately, it is not on by default. If you’ve enabled it in yourself, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle off Haptic to turn off haptic feedback for your keyboard.

And although they haven’t been released yet, Live Activities and the iCloud Shared Photo Library are two iOS 16 features that may also drain your battery, so look out for an update to this story on how to disable them.

iOS 16.0.3 on Your iPhone: Apple Fixes Some Annoying Bugs

Learn how to download the latest iOS 16 update today.

After releasing iOS 16 alongside the iPhone 14 last month, Apple has now rolled out another software update, iOS 16.0.3.

The latest update addresses bugs on some iPhone 14 models, including delayed or undelivered incoming calls and notifications and low microphone volume during CarPlay phone calls. It also fixes camera issues some iPhone 14 models have experienced, like a slow launch speed or spontaneously switching between camera modes.

The update also offers fixes that are not specific to iPhone 14 models. One change addresses an issue in which a malformed email could cause the Mail app to crash.

Here’s how iPhone users can download the update.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Software Update.
  4. Tap Download and Install.

See also
With iOS 16 on Your iPhone, Do These 3 Things Immediately
iOS 16’s Best New Features: New iMessage Updates, Lock Screen
7 Hidden iOS 16 Features We Were Surprised to Find
4 Annoying iOS 16 Features You Can Fix Right Now

Best iPhone in 2022: Which of Apple’s Phones Is Right for You?

Apple’s iPhone lineup ranges pricewise from $429 to $1,599. Here are the best iPhones to match your needs and budget.

The best iPhone is obviously going to be different for everyone and really depends on your needs and budget. With the launch of the iPhone 14 series, Apple now sells eight different models that range in price from $429 for the iPhone SE (2022) to $1,599 for an iPhone 14 Pro Max with 1TB of storage.

The eight iPhone variants Apple currently sells are a mix of new models and phones that date back to 2020. Below are the various models, their release date, the number of rear cameras they have, their processor and their current list price, which for some phones includes a $30 activation fee that’s waived if you activate your iPhone on a carrier at the time of purchase.

But whether it’s the tiny iPhone 13 Mini and its 5.4-inch screen or the 2020 iPhone 12, you actually have a lot to consider to find your perfect phone. Navigating Apple’s iPhone spectrum can be overwhelming, whether you’re considering colors (the iPhone 13 comes in six), or features like the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island, which expands and contracts to show system alerts.

Then there are the cameras. The iPhone typically has some of the best cameras found on any phone. But the iPhone SE has just one on the back. The 12, 13, 13 Mini, 14 and 14 Plus each have dual-rear cameras. And then there’s the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max that not only have a trio of cameras but come with features like the ability to take ProRaw photos or record ProRes videos.

To further complicate things, carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon as well as third-parties like Best Buy and Amazon continue to sell discontinued models such as the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. And then there’s the prices. Apple’s starting price for each model isn’t necessarily what you’ll pay. Nearly all of the phones on this list can be bought for significantly less with a mixture of trade-ins and/or service commitments with most US wireless carriers.

I know, it’s a lot. Luckily, I have tested and reviewed all eight versions of the iPhone and can help you navigate through all the noise.

iPhone 14
Best iPhone for most people
When I reviewed the iPhone 14, I said it was essentially the iPhone 13 Pro’s processor and main camera inside the body of an iPhone 13. No doubt, some will be disappointed that the iPhone 14 isn’t radically different from previous models. But that’s part of its charm. Familiarity has been one of the keys to Apple’s success with the iPhone. And as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The iPhone 14’s best features are ones you may never see or use — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. That includes Crash Detection, which can notify emergency services when you’re in an automobile accident. Starting in November, you’ll get Emergency SOS via Satellite that lets you use a satellite to message emergency dispatchers in places without cell coverage.

And while the iPhone 14 has a nearly identical flat-sided design as the iPhone 12 and 13, including a ceramic shield covering and a water resistant body, the inside has been completely redesigned. The 14’s back-glass is easier and more affordable to repair since it’s no longer attached to internals.

All phones in the iPhone 14 series only use eSIMs in the US and have a new selfie camera that for the first time ever has autofocus. Add in a new video stabilization tool called Action mode, an upgraded Cinematic mode that can capture 4K video at 24fps and iOS 16, and you have an excellent phone. If you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $799. Check out our iPhone 14 review.

iPhone 14 Pro
Best premium iPhone
From the back, the $999 iPhone 14 Pro looks identical to last year’s 13 Pro. But don’t let that sameness fool you. It’s the 14 Pro’s screen where there’s something different and wonderful going on. The display notch, that defined previous Face ID iPhone models, has morphed into a pill-shaped screen cutout that can show system alerts and background activities like when you receive a call or play music. Apple calls this functionality the Dynamic Island. I know, it’s not the best name, but it’s truly one of the best features.

The iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch adaptive-refresh-rate screen that adjusts between 1 and 120Hz depending on what’s on the screen. It also gets upgraded cameras, a faster processor, an always-on display, iOS 16 and new safety features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite. Driving all these upgrades is Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip, which in use feels peppy.

The main camera gets a new larger 48-megapixel sensor. While more megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean better photos, Apple divides the pixels into groups of four and combines them into one larger pixel. The result is a 12-megapixel photo that’s brighter and has less image noise and better detail.

The iPhone 14 Pro is the one of the best phones released by Apple or any phone maker this year. Check out our iPhone 14 Pro review.

iPhone 13
Best iPhone value
The $729 iPhone 13 is still an excellent phone. In fact, if you’re tempted by the iPhone 14 and want to save some money, grab a 13. They have essentially the same body, same screen and same A15 Bionic processor. Although technically, the iPhone 14’s processor does have an extra GPU core.

The iPhone 13, like the 12 before it, is defined by its square-sided design. It supports 5G, MagSafe charging and has cameras on par with the ones from 2020’s top-of-the-line iPhone 12 Pro Max.

But the iPhone 13’s best feature is its larger battery that, in our tests, lasted 4.5 hours more on a single charge than the iPhone 12, and nearly 3 hours longer than the new iPhone 14.

The 13 also has Cinematic mode, which is basically a video version of Portrait mode, and iOS 16, This all adds up to an excellent phone. The iPhone 13 earned a 2021 CNET Editors’ Choice Award. Also, if you activate it on a carrier at purchase, Apple drops the price to $699. Check out our iPhone 13 review.

iPhone 14 Plus
Most affordable big iPhone
The $929 iPhone 14 Plus is either a big iPhone 14 or a scaled-back iPhone 14 Pro Max, depending on your perspective. Ever since the iPhone XS Max launched in 2018, there has been only one option for those who love big screens: Pay top dollar and get a Max model with extra features you might not necessarily need (like a telephoto camera or a high refresh rate display). I know many CNET readers, friends and co-workers who have shelled out $1,100 or more for an iPhone 12 Pro Max or 13 Pro Max because it was the only way to get a phone in the size they wanted. But that changes now.

The 14 Plus has all of the iPhone 14’s features and, like the 14 Pro Max, it has a 6.7-inch display that gives you a larger canvas for watching videos, playing games and taking photos. The 14 Plus can either let you fit more onto the screen or just show everything the iPhone 14 does but much bigger. A magnified view seems like such a mundane feature, yet as my eyes get older, I definitely welcome it.

If you are deciding between the iPhone 14 Plus and the iPhone 14 Pro Max and you don’t need a telephoto camera, a high-refresh-rate screen or extra weight, I say go with the 14 Plus and save $200. If you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $899. Check out our iPhone 14 Plus review.

iPhone 13 Mini
Best small iPhone
Who said small phones don’t exist in 2022? The $629 iPhone 13 Mini is brilliant because it has everything the iPhone 13 has — it’s just smaller. It has the same square-edged looks, support for 5G and the same cameras. The 13 Mini’s defining feature is its 5.4-inch OLED screen that supports Dolby HDR. If that sounds too small, consider that Plus models, like the iPhone 8 Plus, had a 5.5-inch screen inside a much larger body. The 13 Mini’s secret is that it lacks those giant forehead and chin bezels that defined the iPhone for its first decade.

The screen is covered with Apple’s ceramic shield and the body, like nearly all phones on this list, has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The 13 Mini has an A15 Bionic processor which puts it on the same level of performance as the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus.

The iPhone 13 Mini is the exact same price as the iPhone 12, but the Mini actually lasts longer on a single charge than the bigger iPhone 12. I only recommend you get the 13 Mini for its size. If you aren’t OK with a small phone, you might be disappointed or frustrated. And if you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $599. Check out our iPhone 13 Mini review.

iPhone 14 Pro Max
Best battery life
The $1,099 iPhone 14 Pro Max is just a big version of the iPhone 14 Pro. It has the same A16 Bionic processor, the same cameras and the same features. But it does differ in two big ways from the 14 Pro: It has a bigger 6.7-inch high-refresh rate screen and a bigger battery. In fact, in our tests, the iPhone 14 Pro Max had the longest battery life of any phone on this list.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is outstanding in every way. But I only recommend getting it if you want a bigger Pro model iPhone, because it weighs a lot. It’s 34 grams heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro and 37 grams heavier than the iPhone 14 Plus. Most of that weight comes from the 14 Pro Max’s stainless steel body. Check out our iPhone 14 Pro Max review.

iPhone 12
Best iPhone under $600
The $599 iPhone 12 and its flat-sided design marked the beginning of the current generation of Apple phones. Of everything on this list, it’s the oldest but also one of the cheapest, especially if you want to snag an iPhone with a contemporary look and Face ID.

The iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch display covered in Apple’s ceramic shield for durability, a still-very-fast A14 Bionic chip, 5G support and MagSafe charging.

The iPhone 12 earned a 2020 CNET Editors’ Choice Award. If you choose to get an iPhone 12 and can afford to pay $50 more, I definitely recommend upgrading from 64GB of storage to 128GB. The iPhone 12 starts at $629, but if you activate it on a carrier, Apple drops the price to $599. Check out our iPhone 12 review.

iPhone SE
Best cheap iPhone
At $429, you might think the only appeal of the iPhone SE (2022) is its price. And admittedly that is a big factor. On the outside, the iPhone SE has the same body as the iPhone 8, which makes it the only iPhone on this list that still has TouchID. On the inside, the SE has the same A15 processor as the iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 14 and 14 Plus which takes the 2017 camera hardware and gives it an injection of Apple’s computational photography magic.

The SE represents the classic iPhone design but with the added ability to run the latest version of iOS and apps. One of the quieter updates in 2022 was that the SE’s back was upgraded to the back glass used on the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini. The iPhone SE is simply your most affordable way into all of Apple services like FaceTime, iMessage and iCloud. Check out our iPhone SE review.

Two Huawei 5G kit-removal deadlines put back

The government has extended two deadlines for the removal of Huawei equipment from the UK’s 5G networks.

The requirement to remove the Chinese company’s products from the network core has been pushed back 11 months, to 31 December 2023.

And a limit on the amount of Huawei kit in fibre-broadband infrastructure must now be achieved by the end of October,l rather than July, next year.

It follows advice from the National Cyber Security Centre.

The NCSC decided the security of Huawei’s products could no longer be managed, in 2020, following a US decision to place the company under sanctions, and the UK government said all its equipment had to be stripped out of the UK by the end of 2027.

This and eight other interim deadlines remain unchanged.

‘Network outages’
The US authorities fear Huawei’s 5G equipment makes countries vulnerable to their data being accessed by the Chinese state or having critically important services switched off.

Huawei has denied being controlled by the Chinese government or posing a security threat.

The new deadline extensions follow consultations with Huawei and UK telecoms providers.

The government said a small number of operators had indicated – because of the pandemic and global supply-chain issues – the original deadlines risked network outages and disruption for customers.

Providers should meet the original targets wherever possible, it said, and it expected most of them would do so.

‘Security risk’
The direction to remove Huawei equipment is also being put on a legal footing through the handing of notices called designated-vendor directions to all 35 UK telecoms network operators, under the Telecoms Security Act, which came into force in November 2021.

Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said it allowed the government to “drive up the security of telecoms infrastructure and control the use of high-risk equipment”.

“We must have confidence in the security of our phone and internet networks, which underpin so much about our economy and everyday lives,” she added.

NCSC technical director Dr Ian Levy said: “The Telecoms Security Act ensures we can be confident in the resilience of the everyday services on which we rely and the legal requirements in this designated-vendor direction are a key part of the security journey.”

Huawei has been issued a separate document – a designation notice – which categorises the company as a high-risk vendor of 5G network equipment and services and sets out all of the reasons the government considers it a national security risk, including the impact of the US sanctions.

My iPhone in Permanent Low Power Mode Gives Me Two Days of Battery

Keeping your iPhone in Low Power Mode could save your battery charge, but what do you lose?

We all know the iPhone drill: a “Low Battery. 20% battery remaining” alert, followed by options to tap Low Power Mode or deny reality by tapping Close. Apple added Low Power Mode as part of iOS 9 in order to save battery, so should battery-conscious iPhone users just keep Low Power Mode on all the time now that we’re on iOS 16?

The reality of keeping Low Power Mode always on is that the pros and cons will depend on your iPhone model, how you use the phone and how much you care about saving your battery charge. Learn exactly what Low Power Mode disables and how to keep it on permanently, if you want to give it a try.

For more, be sure that you’re not charging your iPhone the wrong way, and learn why the iPhone battery meter icon is changing with iOS 16.1.

What is iPhone Low Power Mode?
Low Power Mode is an iOS setting that disables some iPhone features to save battery charge when it is low. Your iPhone will ask you if you want to turn on Low Power Mode when your battery drops to 20%, and then again at 10%.

Apple says that Low Power Mode reduces the amount of power that your iPhone is using to make your battery last longer.

You can tell when you are in Low Power Mode because your battery icon will be yellow. Your iPhone automatically turns off Low Power Mode when your battery charge reaches 80%.

Which features does iPhone Low Power Mode disable?
According to the official Apple support page, Low Power Mode makes these changes to conserve your battery’s charge:

Turns off 5G (except for video streaming)
Sets your iPhone screen to turn off after 30 seconds of inactivity
Reduces display brightness
Lowers display refresh rate for iPhones with ProMotion
Eliminates some visual effects
Pauses iCloud Photos sync
Suspends automatic downloads
Pauses email fetch
Stops background apps from refreshing
Low Power Mode also disables viewing videos in HDR, turns off the Always On display in iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, disables video autoplay, and reduces CPU and GPU performance.

How do I turn on iPhone Low Power Mode?
The manual way to keep Low Power Mode on all the time would be to simply put your iPhone into Low Power Mode every time after you charge it. You can turn it on manually by going to Settings > Battery and toggling on Low Power Mode.

You can also turn on Low Power Mode manually with the iPhone Control Center or with Siri.

How do I turn on iPhone Lower Power Mode permanently?
But there’s a simple way to “set it and forget it.” To automatically keep your iPhone in Low Power Mode at all times, you’ll need to get a little crafty and make your own Personal Automation using the Shortcuts app.

There are many ways to automatically set Low Power Mode using Shortcuts, but for me, the easiest method is to turn on Low Power Mode whenever the battery is less than 100%. That way, your iPhone is essentially in Low Power Mode all the time, but it can also create backups, complete downloads and receive updates when it’s plugged in and charged at 100%.

Scroll all the way to the right on your iPhone home screen to get to your App Library, then scroll down and tap Shortcuts. Once the app is running, select Automation at the bottom of the screen, then tap the blue Create Personal Automation button.

On the New Animation screen, scroll down and select Battery Level. Tap the bottom option, Falls Below, and then move the slider all the way to the right for 100%. Then click Next. You’ve set your condition for triggering an action.

Now create the action to set your iPhone to Low Power Mode. On the Actions screen, click the blue Add Action button. You can then type in “Low” in the search box and tap Set Low Power Mode, or tap Scripting and find it under Device.

Once you’ve selected Set Low Power Mode, it will show up on your Actions screen as “Turn Low Power Mode On.” Click Next. On the following New Automation screen, toggle Ask Before Running off to let Lower Power Mode be turned on automatically. If you want, you can request a notification for every time the automation runs.

Confirm “Don’t Ask,” then tap Done to finish. You’re all set. Every time your battery drops below 100%, your iPhone will automatically switch into Low Power Mode.

How much battery charge does Low Power Mode save?
You’re not going to get a definitive answer here. The value of Low Power Mode has been debated ever since it was introduced. While some estimates say battery charges will last about one and a half times longer using Low Power Mode, others show very little difference in battery usage.

If you’re concerned with making your iPhone battery last longer, you’ll simply need to try out Low Power Mode for yourself and see the difference.

My own experience squares with that early estimate of a battery charge that lasts about 50% longer on Low Power Mode. Anecdotally, I find that Low Power Mode matters less when I am using the phone more. The benefit of Low Power Mode seems greater when my phone is idle, or used sparingly for texts and 2FA messaging.

On weekdays, when I’m working and mostly using my laptop computer, I generally only need to charge my phone every other day if I leave it in Low Power Mode. That still includes activities like posting on social media, streaming music with Spotify and watching downloaded videos on Netflix. If I don’t have Low Power Mode turned on permanently, I usually need to charge my phone every day.

How to get rid of Low Power Mode

If you find that Low Power Mode doesn’t save your battery, you can turn off the automation by going into Shortcuts and toggling off Enable This Animation. To erase it completely, swipe left on your Low Power Mode automation on the main Automation screen, then tap the red Delete button.

You can also create your own custom version of Low Power Mode by tweaking your iPhone settings to take some of the measures that Low Power Mode does. For example you can save significant battery by stopping background apps from refreshing or adjusting your brightness settings.